I shipped a fig out today that was part of a trade.  I hope it gets there in one piece.  Shipping cuttings is so much easier.

Cuttings are definitely easier. Your tree looks dormant, why not bare root it and save $$$$ on shipping and also time. I do most of my trades dormant. Also when bare rooting, you will be sure the roots are healthy and nematode free which is a must when trading with members from Florida and out west.

Tom,  How did you ship it?  I got a couple bare root from a member, and they were my guide.  The sender washed the dirt from the roots, bent them up, wrapped in a damp paper towel, and the whole thing in many layers of seran, and both lived and are doing well in their new containers.

I copied his method to send some bare root a few weeks ago, and I hope they live as well.  They were dormant plants with many roots!!

Suzi

I shipped it USPS priority mail.  I didn't want to disturb the roots.  Remember this is an Ischia Black and is not a strong grower.

I've sent out some trees like that I usually put the pot in a bag and then tape it so the soil doesn't move and then I poke a hole through the box and run a piece of twisty tie thru the box and around so the pot won't move I put tape on the twisty tie on the outside of the box haven't lost a single leaf yet , it's a good way to do it it saves on all that cardboard/newspaper/bubble wrap 

I didn't watch your video completely.  I've shipped a fair number of plants and received many as well (received some that were packed great and a few that were terrible).  Your first box is ideal and I would cut it down like you proposed in the beginning.  I would ball up some newspaper and put it into the pot and then do one of two things: (1) tape over and around the newspaper to hold it down to the sides, or (2) put a pastic bag around the pot from below and use some masking tape to hold the bag tightly against the pot and against the newspaper.  The point of this exercise is to prevent the soil from lifting up in the pot since you have about a 1" space left in the pot.  After that, I'd do one of the following: (1) cut a fairly strong stick of bamboo or whatever to about the length of the inside of the box and poke in into the pot, threw the plastic bag and newspaper as needed or (2) Make some holes on the bottom of the box on the back side and bring up tape through the hole and tape the pot down to the boom of the box and then do the same from the front before you close the box.  [Edit: since you need to shorten the box, you'll have flaps on the end you cut so I would use that as the bottom and tape the pot through the flaps before they are closed instead of having to create a new hole.] Either of these works well to prevent the plant from shipping around.  The corrugated cardboard you had will ad weight unnecessarily, maybe an extra pound, but it could work also if you tape the pot to the cardboard.  The plastic bag is also helpful because some soil can still get shook lose and the bag contains it all.

I have had some pretty nice compliments on my thorough packaging, FWIW.

Tom you packed it very well.    ; )

Tom you did a very good job in packing, it will make some one very happy.
How it you go about air-layer that  Ischia? I have one that I am trying to air-layer. the first time it healed over. I try again on Feb. 14 and steal no roots.